[Time Travel in Kanagawa] Autumn Traditional Performing Arts 2023: Takigi Noh, Yamakita no Ohmineiri, Bunraku Puppet Theater

In the fall of 2023, a variety of traditional performing arts performances were held in Kanagawa Prefecture. These included Takigi Noh, a bonfire-lit performance dedicated to the Bunraku tradition, and folk performing arts commemorating the Bunraku Association's registration as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Bunraku puppet theater will be bringing you a look at the Bunraku Association's 60th anniversary performance.
Top image: © Shinji Aoki

Kamakura Takigi Noh has a long history second only to Nara and Kyoto

Photo courtesy of Kamakura City Tourism Association

Kamakura Takigi Noh is a Shinto ritual that has been running for over half a century since its first performance in 1959. The venue, Kamakura Shrine, is a shrine built by imperial order of Emperor Meiji in 1869 and commonly known as Ootonomiya (Otonomiya/Daitonomiya). It enshrines Prince Moriyoshishinno (Morinagashinno), the son of Emperor Godaigo.

This year, the 65th anniversary of the festival, a special outdoor Noh stage and general spectator seating were set up for the first time in five years.
The program includes the celebratory song "Okina," a simple song that is only performed on special occasions; the Kyogen play "Rokujizo," in which three people play the role of six Jizo statues, full of confusion and laughter; and the Noh play "Hokazo," featuring the art of kusemai (a traditional Japanese dance), kakko (a traditional Japanese drum), and short songs, as well as the tense Zen dialogue of "Hokazo."

Kamakura Takigi Noh is a performance that can be enjoyed in the rustic charm of the forest of Kamakura after dark, while listening to the sounds of insects and feeling the gentle breeze. This year's performance was once again a spectacular evening, with leading performers in the Noh world being invited.

[65th Kamakura Takigi Noh]
Date and time: Friday, October 6, 2023, 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM *Finished
Venue: Kamakura Shrine, special stage (154 Nikaido, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
・Program: Soutai "Okina" by Norikazu Konparu (Shite actor, 81st head of the Konparu school)
Kyogen "Six Jizo" by Mansai Nomura (Kyogen performer, Izumi school)
Noh "The Dismissal Monk" Yasuaki Konparu (Shitekata, Konparu School, 80th generation)
・Website here

Two days of passionate performances at the Oyama Fire Festival Takigi Noh

The Oyama Fire Festival Takigi Noh is held over two days in early October every year at Oyama Afuri Shrine in Isehara City. This performing arts ritual, which is said to have originated from Oyama Noh, which was created around 300 years ago, is also designated as an Important Cultural Property of Isehara City.

In the Noh theater, which is dominated by the nature of Mt. Daisen, a shrine maiden in hakama offers a sacred fire, and bonfires light up the stage. With the lush greenery of the trees in the background, the atmosphere is set, and preparations are complete for the autumnal spectacle of Mt. Daisen, the Fire Festival Takigi Noh. This year, the 42nd year, the event was held on October 3rd and 4th, and unfortunately it rained on the second day, but many people came on both days to enjoy the mysterious and profound world.

[42nd Great Mountain Fire Festival Takigi Noh]
Date and time: Tuesday, October 3rd and Wednesday, October 4th, 2023, 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM *Event has now ended
Venue: Oyama Afuri Shrine Noh Theater (355 Oyama, Isehara City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
・Program: Opening day (October 3rd)
Noh play "Lady Aoi" by Kanze Kiyokazu
Kyogen "Sohachi" by Tojiro Yamamoto
"The Old Man" by Kanze Saburota
Shimai "Dokan" by Ueda Kimitake
"Tenko" Chitoshi Matsuki
Day 2 (October 4th)
Noh play "Kiyotsune" by Kanze Saburota
Kyogen “Fushi” Norishige Yamamoto
“The Alone Old Man” Yaemon Yamashina
Shimai "Dokan" by Kojiro Kado
"The Net Stage" by Shigeyoshi Asami
・Website here

UNESCO registration passes on tradition to Yamakita no Omine

"Yamakita no Ohmineiri" is a folk performing art that has been passed down for generations in the Kyowa district of Yamakita Town in western Kanagawa Prefecture and has been designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan. In November 2022, it was decided that the dance would be registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage as one of the Furyu Dances that continue to reflect the history and climate of the region, and a commemorative performance was held on October 8th of this year.

It is believed to be a performing art based on the mountain Shugendo rituals, and has only been performed 20 times in the past 160 years. The performances, which consist of 11 acts in 8 categories, including the Stick Dance, Dojyo, and Misogi, have all been passed down orally. This year's 21st festival saw over 80 men, from elementary school children to the elderly, take on the roles of Tengu (long-nosed goblin), lion, Okame (female samurai), Yamabushi (mountain priest), drummer, and flute player, making new history.

[Yamakita Entry into the Peak Commemorative Performance]
・Date and time: October 8, 2023 (Sunday)
Ceremony 9:10-9:40 / Commemorative performance 9:50-11:00 *Finished
Venue: Yamakita Town Kawamura Elementary School Grounds (1002 Yamakita, Yamakita Town, Ashigarakami District, Kanagawa Prefecture)
・Website here

[Travels and performances at the Kanagawa Classics Project]
・Date and time: February 11, 2024 (Sunday/Holiday)
"Michiyuki" 11:30-12:00 / Performance starts at 14:00
・Venue: "Michiyuki" Ebina Station free passage (3-3 Megumicho, Ebina City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
"Performance" Ebina City Cultural Hall [6-1 Megumicho, Ebina City, Kanagawa Prefecture]

Bunraku puppet theater: a masterful technique that injects a sense of life into the performance

© Shinji Aoki

On October 15th, there was a performance of Bunraku puppet theater, a classical performing art that Japan is proud of and is also a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. The performance was part of a nationwide tour commemorating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Bunraku Association, and in Kanagawa Prefecture, two performances were held, one in the afternoon and one in the evening, at the Kanagawa Prefectural Youth Center in Yokohama City.

The evening performance I saw was a work called "Katsura River Enri no Shigarami," a domestic drama set in the world of ordinary people. The story revolves around the complicated love affairs of a man and a woman, so I bought a pamphlet at the gift shop and studied it while waiting for the show to begin.

Bunraku puppet theater is a form of puppetry that adults can enjoy, and it is performed by a tayu (narrator) who freely recites the characters' lines, emotions, and scene developments, a shamisen player who sits next to the tayu and expresses the scenery and psychology of the characters through sound, and a puppeteer. When the tayu, shamisen player, and puppeteer work together in unison, they breathe life into the puppets and the piece comes to life.

When the curtain rises, the puppeteer and puppeteer stand at the front and perform their act, while the tayu and shamisen player sit in seiza on the sub-stage called "yuka" on the right, occasionally leaning forward to tell the tale with their voice and the sound of their shamisen. This time, the audience was seated close together, making for a very enjoyable performance.

When you see the actual puppets, they are larger and more impressive than you would imagine, with their small heads and long limbs. It is captivating to watch the three puppeteers - the main puppeteer in charge of the head and right hand, the left puppeteer in charge of the left hand, and the foot puppeteer who performs with the feet - manipulate each puppet with such grace and ease. It is a moment when you can feel the charm of traditional art and the profound depth backed by history.

The performance began with a commentary by the tayu, focusing on the plot, and throughout the performance, electronic subtitles were displayed on the left side of the stage. The lobby also featured an introductory exhibit on Bunraku puppet theater, including panels showing the highlights and videos of the performance, allowing visitors to experience this classical performing art up close.

[Bunraku Bunraku Puppet Theatre Commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the Bunraku Association]
Date and time: Sunday, October 15, 2023. Daytime performance starts at 1:00 PM, evening performance starts at 5:00 PM. *Finished
Venue: Kanagawa Prefectural Youth Center, Momijizaka Hall (9-1 Momijigakaoka, Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture)
・Program (Daytime performance) Explanation (mainly plot)
Yoshitsune Senbonzakura
Shii Tree Stage, Sushi Restaurant Stage
(Evening session) Commentary (mainly plot summary)
Katsuragawa River Interlocking Fence
The Rokkakudo Stage, the Obiya Stage, and the Katsura River in the Oboro
・Website here

Text by Mai Shimura (editor/writer)